Under the Sun
by Dracoisalooker76
Summary: For Casey Bolton, a month out of her year is way too much to see her mother and she longs to see Nathan once more, but her trip becomes worthwhile when she meets a mysterious boy while working in her uncle's store. Sequel to Help Me.
1. The Beginning of a Nightmare

**Disclaimer: I own no one that you recognize from the movie. I do however own Casey (though, not her family) and Nathan.**

**Alright, here is the sequel that you've all been waiting for. I hope you like it!

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**Let me weep you this poem as Heaven's gates close  
Paint you my soul, scarred and alone  
Waiting for your kiss to take me back home**

**-**_**HIM**_**: "Vampire Heart"

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_**Chapter One - **_

_**The Beginning of a Nightmare**_

Casey's stomach rose into her throat as the plane lifted off the runway and into the air. She bit down hard on her fingernail, looking at the houses and roads that they passed over. Out the window, she saw the houses become smaller, suddenly looking like dominoes against a green tablecloth as they reached the clouds. They were white and fluffy and she wanted to touch them to see if they felt as soft as they looked.

"Good morning, I'm Dave Kilgallon, your pilot for your trip to Portland, Oregon from Albuquerque, New Mexico. We will be making a direct flight today and since the weather is good, we are hoping for no delays. Right now, it is a little passed noon and we should be there in a few hours," the voice said from the intercom.

"When are we getting the pretzels?" she asked.

Troy laughed beside her. "Come on, don't look so bummed."

Casey groaned and sent a look in Troy's direction. "You can not seriously be happy about this," she told him. He raised an eyebrow.

"Why would I be _happy_?"

"My point exactly," she said. "We could have been late and missed the flight, but no, you said _maybe it'll be fun!_ remember that, Troy?"

Troy looked bored and pulled out a book. "I don't think I said it like that. I believe my words were: maybe we won't be bored. I didn't see you unpacking your bags so we could be late either, C."

He did have a point; she had been all ready that morning. She just didn't want to make her dad mad. For some reason, he wanted them to go and see _her._ Casey didn't have a clue why, the woman wasn't at the top of his favorite people list, but she was - even though they did have to be reminded that whether they liked it or not - their mother.

Casey glared out the window at the clouds. She had begged, pleaded - she actually clung on to her father like a toddler at the airport - to stay with him. She wanted to be in Albuquerque where she knew where everything was.

But, it was an agreement that came along with Jack's full custody. Elizabeth would get to see them for the summer. And Casey was getting out of her visit one month early to go see Nathan in Massachusetts. Her mother hadn't been pleased, but she had to go see Nathan. The possibility of not going was out of the question.

"Anything to drink?"

Casey looked up to see the flight attendant. He was a young man, maybe thirty, with bright red hair and glasses. She nodded and pointed at the can of coke pretending to be mute. Troy rolled his eyes and elbowed her in the side. The red haired man laughed it off. "A little shy?" he asked.

"A little," she said in a small voice, acting. She really just didn't feel like talking. The redhead passed her a can of coke and gave her a smile. "If you guys need anything, just give me a yell," he told them.

Troy gave a quick nod and Casey put on a smile. Once he turned his back, the smile fell and she felt her brother's eyes flicker on to her. He chucked slightly under his breath.

"What am I going to do with you?" he asked, ruffling her hair. She batted him away and tied her hair over her shoulder in a side ponytail.

But she wasn't going to leave him hanging without a witty remark. "I haven't a clue, dearest brother. You'll have to tell me when you find out."

His blue eyes sparkled and looked out the window. Her eyes followed and together they watched the clouds roll by. They were in a trance, staring at the thick blankets of white in the sky. When she noticed that Troy had almost drifted to sleep, Casey put her face near his ear.

"Are we there yet?" she whispered. Troy grinned and turned to face her. She just smiled in response.

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Casey walked out into the waiting area of the airport with her head held high, looking casually with her eyes. She was sure her mother would be there to pick them up, but then again, it wouldn't have been the first time she'd forgotten them either.

She laughed at the memory of her and Troy standing patiently outside in the rain when they were in elementary school. Jack had taken Dylan to the doctor to get his cast removed from his now healed arm and wouldn't be able to pick them up. Now, a good mother would have been there, ready and waiting to pick up her fifth and second grade children.

In the end, Jack picked them up because their mother was 'tied up at work' and wasn't able to get a hold of him to tell him that. They had been soaked because they had been standing in front of the school in the pouring rain for twenty minutes with only an umbrella. Dylan, she remembered, had chuckled at them and said they looked like wet cats. She missed his sense of humor a lot now.

"Casey, Troy!"

"Darn," Casey muttered under breath. If _Elizabeth_ hadn't shown up, she probably could have convinced Troy to get on a plane back to Albuquerque.

Her eyes looked out the window and she frowned. It was sunny and, just from what the people were wearing, she could tell it was hot and sticky. She had been hoping for rain and gray clouds to match her mood. She put her sunglasses over her eyes, not because it was too sunny, because she didn't want anyone to yell at her about rolling her eyes.

Troy placed his hands on her shoulders, forcing her to move. Standing with their mother were her aunt and uncle - whose names she had forgotten - and their daughter, Amanda. Casey remembered her name. Troy's hand shivered slightly as he noticed her. Growing up, Amanda had had a crush on him, but she was seventeen now and, hopefully, had rid herself of those emotions.

"My, my," their aunt said in her southern twang. She was from Texas and moved up to Oregon because that's where her husband, Elizabeth's brother, wanted to live. Casey was sure that her aunt had been just as unhappy about being there as she was now, but she had been sucked in. Either that or she just didn't complain anymore.

"Look at them, Henry. Haven't they grown so much." Casey would have to remember that, Uncle Henry. If only Henry would say her aunt's name.

"They have," he extended his hand to Troy. "How's it going, kiddo? You're dad told me about you being accepted to UCLA."

Casey glared. Only her father called Troy 'kiddo' and recently he'd been calling him 'bud'or 'buddy' anyway. And why would he talk to Jack? It wasn't like they were friends. Who did this Uncle Henry think he was?

"Really? UCLA?" Amanda spoke up, flinging her long blond hair over her shoulder, smiling at Troy. "That's impressive."

Casey almost gagged the way she said impressive. Obviously, she had not been able to get over her feelings for her _cousin_. She glanced up at Troy and noticed him go rigid. "Yeah," she said with a smile at Amanda. "It's amazing, Gabriella got accepted too. They'll be rooming together."

"Gabriella?" her aunt asked.

"His girlfriend," Casey answered with a smirk. Aunt No-Name looked as if her eyes were going to pop out of her head. Casey could tell by the look on her face that she did _not_ approve of Gabriella and Troy rooming together. Amanda's face sunk at the word 'girlfriend' and she pouted slightly. Casey thought it was great.

"Why do you have your sunglasses on inside, Case?" Elizabeth asked with her eyebrows raised. Casey merely shrugged in response, so Henry took this as a chance to break in.

"Your luggage! Troy, want to help me get it?"

"Sure!" Casey knew that Troy was as eager to get away from Amanda as she was to get away from Oregon all together. She stood there as her mother and her aunt talked. She gave Amanda a once over. She wore a pink shirt with a heart on it and jean shorts. Nothing too spectacular, in Casey's opinion.

Her mother's voice broke through her thoughts. "Will you mind sharing a room with Amanda, Case?"

She cringed, hoping that her mother would stop calling her Case. Then, a realization hit her. She was rooming with Amanda. Her noise rose as if she smelled something awful.

"Oh, this is going to be fun, Casey! You can tell me all about Albuquerque, seems as I've never been there!" Amanda seemed genuinely pleased about the arrangements. Casey just gawked at Elizabeth, who told her to take the sunglasses off because they were tacky. Unwillingly, Casey pulled them off her face and led the other three to where her uncle and brother were, she needed to be with someone she actually liked. She needed Troy to keep her from exploding.

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**So, I've introduced some new characters, and don't worry Nathan will be in it from time to time while she's in Oregon. **

**Tell me what you think.**

**Review!**


	2. The Farm

**Wowzers! I received ten reviews! That's amazing. Thanks!**

**And, as always, I don't own anything because if I did, Troy and Gabriella would have kissed in the end and I would be acting as Troy's younger sister...but we don't always get what we want...

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_**Chapter Two-**_

_**The Farm**_

The house wasn't what she thought it would be and Casey was sure her mind had played an awful joke on her. She always pictured her mother living the life of a princess, complete with long, beautiful ball gowns, mansion, and anything she ever wanted. Looking at the house in front of her told her otherwise.

Casey raised her eyebrows. It was a farm house that needed a new coat of white paint. The wrap around porch looked as if it would collapse with any pressure applied to it. There was a big, red barn that had a tractor and worse yet was that it wasn't even in the city, but almost a half an hour drive away.

Now Casey knew why Amanda was so excited about hearing about Albuquerque.

"Well, it's not much, but it's a homey place," Uncle Henry said after looking at the faces on his niece and nephew. Casey glanced to her older brother and saw the same confused expression on his face that had been on hers.

"I know you thought we would be in the city, but kids, it'll be fun," Elizabeth said, moving toward Casey to place a hand on her daughter's shoulder. Casey moved to the side, just enough to be out of reach of her mother. "This is where I'm living instead of living in the city alone," she tried, as if it made up for the fact that the nearest neighbor was half a mile down the road.

Casey and Troy followed Amanda and Henry up to the door, almost afraid to step up the stairs. The door creaked open as the four walked inside, Elizabeth and their aunt close behind. They entered into the kitchen, getting the tour of the house by Amanda. It was a nice room with blue walls and hardwood floors. There was a table next to a window that looked to seat five, but could easily squeeze in a sixth, and over the oven read: Maybelle's kitchen. Casey smiled, her aunt's name was Maybelle.

"So, kids, you must be hungry after that long plane ride," Aunt Maybelle said her southern accent, putting on a blue and white checkered apron.

"It wasn't that long, and they gave us food," Troy started, but he was cut off by Henry who put his hands in the air.

"Plane food! You actually ate that!" He turned to Maybelle. "Fry some eggs. Mandy, go get some fresh ones from the coop. I didn't check yesterday so there's bound to be some in there."

"Alright, Daddy," she said, hurrying out into the back.

Elizabeth turned to Casey. "Why don't you help her? She can show you around while Troy and I get the luggage upstairs."

Casey was about to protest when her mother turned around ending the conversation. Casey rolled her eyes and walked slowly in the direction Amanda had. She found the girl cooing at the chickens as if they where human babies. She shook her head at her cousin, trying to figure out how they were so different even though they were blood relatives.

"Oh, Casey, did you want to help?" she asked cheerfully.

"No, I'll watch," she replied, trying to be polite.

"So," Amanda replied quickly, not wanting silence. "What's it like living in a huge place like Albuquerque. I bet there as many kids in your high school as there are in my whole town."

Casey shrugged in response, but that didn't deter Amanda. She continued, "are you popular?" When her cousin didn't answer, she turned her head, placing an egg in a basket as she did. "What do you do for fun?"

"Hang out," Casey said, although it came out more of a question than a statement.

"Do you have a boyfriend?" she asked, her eyes sparkling. Casey nodded. "What's his name?"

"Nathan."

Amanda smiled and put another egg in the basket before standing up. "You're welcome to do stuff with me and my friends while you're here. It must be a drag to have to spend your summer away from your friends."

Casey chuckled darkly to herself. "You have no idea," she muttered, not thinking Amanda could hear. But, her cousin nodded her head and skipped back to the house. Casey glared at her back. It was going to be hard feeling depressed about her summer when she was around the older girl, but she would have to try because there was no way - absolutely no way - that she was going to have fun in a small town so far away from home.

She shook her head and looked up at the house, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her sweatshirt. Life was unfair. She had just gotten back to normal with friends and having fun, then it was all pulled out from underneath her. And, being out in the middle of nowhere was not where she wanted to spend part of her summer.

"Casey!"

Her mother seemed perfectly happy about the whole situation. It was as if Casey had just come back from a month with her dad to live with her, like she had full custody instead of Jack. If that had happened, Casey would have screamed.

"C, come on in," Troy's voice said. She looked away from one of the windows to the back door. Troy was standing there with his arms crossed over his red and white East High basketball shirt. She moved slowly up to him, and he put his arm around her shoulder. "No one likes this, but please, just go with it. For everyone's sake."

She didn't say anything, and instead grabbed her vibrating cell phone from her pocket. She smiled when she flipped it open and saw Nathan's face. It was a text.

_How's Portland?_

Rolling her eyes, she started to type. _Mom lied. We're outside of Port. _

She leaned against the doorway, her eyes focused on the screen of the phone, waiting for his face to come up again. Suddenly, it vibrated in her hand and she opened his message.

_That stinks. I miss u._

Casey could feel her cheeks turn red. He sent another before she could reply. _When u come, we're doin' so much! Wanna go 2 c the Sox play? We go up during the weekends 2 c. SRO is cheap._

Furrowing her brow, she tried to figure out what SRO meant. She'd never been to a baseball game, unless you counted a little league game for Dylan when he went through his 'I don't want to play basketball' rebellion streak. _SRO? We?_ she typed.

She could almost hear his chuckles when the reply came. _Standing Room Only and my friends here, you'll like them._

"Are you talking to Nathan?" Amanda asked excitedly. Casey allowed her eyes to wander the room. Her mother looked unhappy, her aunt raised an eyebrow, and her uncle was reading the newspaper with all his energy. Troy was smiling.

Casey nodded. And noticed her mother give her the look that meant 'no texting' and was used when people were around. She's seen it all too frequently with her brothers. _I g2g. Love you._

Her phone vibrated one more time and she looked onto the screen. All that was there was a smiley face and a heart, but it was just enough for her to know what it meant. She looked up from her cell phone and realized that her dream world was gone. There was the checkered apron, the blue walls, the sign that read 'Maybelle's Kitchen,' and sitting at the table was Amanda. She sat on the floor against the wall, two words keeping her from running as far as she could.

One month.

She groaned in her mind. It was only one month, she could handle it. But, it would be one month of complete boredom.

"Case, Amanda is going to Portland tomorrow with a few of her friends. I think it would be a good idea if you went and saw what it was like." Elizabeth sent the words at Casey not with suggestion, but with force.

The phoniest grin plastered on her face, Casey muttered with scorn, "of course, Mother. I think that's a great idea."

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**Okay, so there's Chapter 2. Hope you all liked it. I know it took a long time, but school's almost up and I really need to keep my focus there (which is proving really hard because I'm always thinking about how I'm going to do the plot of this. I've come up with so many different situations for our dear Casey that I need to compare them with my original ideas and see if any are better!)**

**But, anyway, I'll try to update when I can. We only have about 17 or so days of school so after that this will get a lot more attention.**

**As always, reviews and criticism is much appreciated!**


	3. Portland, Oregon

**Okay, hey all, sorry about the wait. We're, as always, cramming. Not only do I have a lot of homework (for example both my Spanish and math classes are two chapters behind and we have 14/15 ish days left) but we have two lacrosse games left (one today and the other - our last game - is Thursday against our cross town rival which our coach says we MUST win). **

**Also, I'm sorry in advance if I mess up in explaining what Portland looks like. I've never been there so I hope this is slightly accurate. I'm basing my thoughts on what this city might look like with Google images and where I live.**

**Also, in Help Me, Casey told Nathan that her brother was a senior. I hadn't really decided what grade Troy was going to be in until I put that in. So in the fall (after their trip to Oregon), he'll be a freshman in college.**

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_**Chapter Three -**_

_**Portland, Oregon**_

"Oh my God, look at that body!"

"He is so hot."

"I can't believe he's her cousin! How do you get so unlucky to have that god as a cousin?"

Casey rolled her eyes at the comments made by Amanda's friends. There were three of them, a redhead with piercing blue eyes. She was the tallest, and her sneakers and shorts told Casey that she was slightly tomboyish. Not that she minded, she was actually the same way. The girl next to her had bleach blond hair and the palest skin Casey had ever seen. The third was an inch or two taller than Casey with curly brown hair. None of them were gorgeous, but they weren't ugly either. They were average.

Troy turned around from the horse he was talking to and sent them a look. Casey knew he wasn't comfortable with the situation, and the fact that Amanda thought the same way didn't help. He reached to grab his shirt from the ground and put it back on, receiving groans from the three girls. Suddenly, Casey couldn't take it any more.

"He has a girlfriend okay," she said forcefully. The girls looked over as if just noticing she was there.

"And you are...?" the blond asked.

Casey was about to sneer out an answer when Amanda ran out of the house putting her hair into a ponytail as she went. She waved to Troy before smiling at her group of friends. "So," she said. "I see you've met my cousin, Casey."

The three scanned her up and down with their eyes. "Oh," the blond said. "This is your cousin? As in his," she pointed to Troy, "little sister?"

Amanda nodded. The curly haired girl gave her a smirk. "How cute! What are you, twelve?"

"Fifteen," Casey muttered, but it was no use. Amanda and her friends were arm in arm, skipping toward the redhead's car. She followed them at a sluggish pace trying to figure out how she was going to lose them during the day. It would be easy enough to take a wrong turn somewhere.

"Casey!" Amanda yelled. She walked even slower toward her cousin now that she knew that they were waiting for them. When she arrived, Amanda put on a phony smile. "These's are my friends," she pointed to the redhead, "Nellie," then the blond, "Marcalie," and finally the curly haired girl, " and Victoria."

Casey raised her eyebrows, not knowing what to say. "Hi," she said curtly after a few moments.

"So, Amanda said you and your brother are from Albuquerque," Marcalie said. Casey nodded trying to be polite. "Then you should have no problem navigating through Portland."

Casey just smiled, something she had learned early on. Just smile and nod; it makes you appear to be listening or interested in what they had to say.

"Well, get in the car. We want to head out," Victoria said, pulling on a piece of especially curly hair.

She obeyed and sat in the back with Nellie and Victoria. Luckily she had a window to look out of, but there wasn't much except highway and trees to see. They approached the city and the trees started to disappear. Large high rises began to take their places and Casey felt more at home than she ever would on the ranch.

The car was parked in a parking garage near what Casey assumed was a shopping district. She rolled her eyes. They probably wanted to buy something to impress Troy with. She dragged behind them, trying to get caught up in the amount of foot traffic there was.

"Ooh, in there!" Marcalie squealed, pointing at a small shop.

Again, Casey rolled her eyes, this time at what was in the window. Brightly colored bikinis. She slapped her forehead lightly. Did they really think Troy was that shallow? Even if he was a jock, they shouldn't assume that. Not all jock were like that. She felt her blood boiling and her fists clenching.

The four walked into the store and Casey grinned. There was her chance. They didn't know she wasn't following them as lost as a little puppy. She walked down an alleyway and sprinted as fast as she could away.

She came out on another street with shops and looked around. Just as she thought, she didn't have a clue where she was. In a way, that was good because she could just wander around. It was hot and what she really wanted to find was an ice cream shop. Her feet did the walking as she scanned the stores. Voices hit her ears and she turned, walking down an alleyway.

Four teenage boys were huddled around a trash can. The alley smelled heavily of smoke and she could see that they were no older than she was, each with a cigarette between their fingers. Her nose lifted in disgust.

"Oh," one of the boys said, turning to her. "Do you want one?" he asked, motioning to another boy who held out a box of Winston Lights.

"No, I don't smoke," she said firmly. "And you shouldn't either. It's bad for you."

The tallest boy raised an eyebrow and walked toward her. He blew a puff of smoke in her face and she held her breath. "What can we call you?" he asked.

"Nothing," Casey replied automatically. "Because I'm leaving now."

She turned, but the boy grabbed her arm. With a small yank, he pulled her back into his arms. He dropped the cigarette on the pavement and stomped it out with his foot. "My name's Rocky and I think you should stay."

Casey kicked the foot back and banged her back against his chest. He stumbled back and she ran off. He followed and caught her right before she was visible from the street. "I'll scream if you don't let go," Casey hissed in a deadly tone.

"Rocky, she looks like she can handle her own. Let her go," the boy who had spoken first said, taking another puff.

"Put her down," came another voice. It came from in front and Casey, who was stuck giving death glares to Rocky, couldn't see. Rocky let her go and backed away toward his friends. Casey walked out toward the voice.

It was a boy who looked to be seventeen, a year younger than Troy, with short brown hair. He was in a tee shirt and shorts, Nike sandles on his feet. He was attractive, there was no denying that. His hazel eyes looked into her brown ones.

"Thanks," she muttered softly.

"You shouldn't be taking the back streets," he told her. "Watch yourself next time, you may not be so lucky."

"I know," she told him. "I'm use to the city."

"Well then, you should know that alleys are where messed up kids like that hang out." He shook his head. "You don't want to be there, trust me." He glanced at her clothes, she had on a pair of jean shorts, white flip flops, and a white tee shirt that said 'East High Girls Lacrosse' across the front in red. He chuckled to himself. "Yep, you are definitely not a druggie."

"Casey!"

She groaned as she heard Amanda and her friends running toward her, bags in hand. "Do you want to get us in trouble for losing you?" her cousin questioned angrily. "Just stay with us!"

"Yeah, don't run off again," Marcalie sneered, looking at the boy she was with. He flashed her a sarcastic smirk and she rolled her eyes.

Amanda grabbed her arm and the four girls dragged her away without a goodbye to her savior. She looked back, but he had already disappeared in throng of pedestrians. She felt disappointed that she hadn't found out what his name was. Then, as they approached the car, Casey remembered the reaction Marcalie had when she had seen him.

"Do you know who that was?" she asked.

Victoria shook her head as she got into the car. Nellie patted her back. "That was Cale Burrard. He goes to our school. He's the most popular guy there because he seems to have this perfect life."

"Seems?" Casey asked, but she didn't get an answer. Her question had started a conversation between the others.

"I know," Marcalie spouted from the front seat. "He has everything! And his parents actually care unlike some rich parents."

"He lives on a ranch?"

Amanda snorted and looked at Casey through the rear view mirror. "Oh, no way. His house is brand new. A gorgeous mansion down the street from Marcalie. We ride by it some times just to see it because no one we know will ever have something that nice."

Casey nodded as they began to talk more about Cale. It seemed that Amanda had an interest in him, just like she had for Troy. Maybe, just maybe, her cousin and her friends were like regular girls.

She shook her head. No, they weren't. They were nice one moment, then completely mean the next. She didn't understand them, and part of her thought that she never would.

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**Alrighty, there it is!**

**And you met Cale. He's going to show up more as it goes along.**

**Review!**


	4. Down in the Fields

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_**Chapter Four -**_

_**Down in the Fields**_

Casey sat down on the couch that looked out on to the road, but that was all she saw. She didn't see the flowers in the neighbor's yard, or the houses all around her. There wasn't anyone nearby for a while. She hated it.

She liked the city. She liked to be able to walk from place to place in minutes instead of hours. Her eyes focused on a tree in front of her and tapped the window. Boredom was the worst feeling in the world, and the only person she could even think about talking to was still asleep.

Her trip with Amanda and her friends had been a complete disaster. If there had been any hope of them liking her, it was gone now. When they passed her in a hallway or near the barn, dirty looks were thrown her way. It had only been a few days since the incident, but she felt like she was caged in like an animal.

"Really, Elizabeth," Maybelle's voice spoke in the kitchen. Casey turned and stood, walking to the wall so she could eavesdrop. She had always been told not to, but there wasn't anything else to do and it would cure her boredom.

"Do you really think that could be it?" Elizabeth asked, taking a sip of her drink.

"Oh, of course! The death of a sibling can be extremely hard, especially in this situation, and it seems to me that she hasn't quite gotten over it," Maybelle said, her voice dripping with confidence.

Casey heard Elizabeth sigh from her spot against the wall. "I guess, but Jack said she'd been doing great. I don't know why she'd have problems here."

Because I hate being here and I want to go see Nathan is what she wanted to say in response, but Casey kept her mouth shut. There was no point in making her hiding spot known to her aunt and mother.

"Maybe we can get Marcalie's father to talk to her, he's good with this kind of thing," Maybelle said, resting her hand on her sister-in-law's forearm. "She's awfully quiet in there, I've never seen a shyer child in my life."

Casey rolled her eyes and shook her head at her aunt's thoughts. She wasn't shy; she just wanted her mother to know that she didn't want to be there. She turned around to go back to the couch, but was shocked by seeing Troy standing behind her. In his hands were two field hockey sticks and on his face was a questioning expression.

"What are you doing?" he asked, although the look on his face told her he knew exactly what she was doing. He chuckled when she didn't reply. "Come on, Squirt, there's a nice field in the back that looks like it hasn't been used in years. I fixed it up just for us."

She grabbed her stick from his hand and stuck her tongue out. Troy raised an eyebrow before lifting her up onto his shoulder. "Hey!" she shouted, hitting the back of his thigh lightly with the red and white stick. "No fair!"

Once they were out of the house, Troy set her down and they walked side by side. Amanda and her friends, ignoring Casey, waved to Troy and he groaned. Casey rolled her eyes at the four older girls. "You're so popular, Troy!"

"Ha," he said. "That's exactly what I wanted when I came. That's why I'm always in the fields with the horses. They acted like my interaction was the first they'd had in a while."

"I bet Amanda doesn't even know how many they have," Casey muttered as they approached the barn. The horses neighed in welcome when Troy entered. He opened the gates for two of the horses, but talked to the others, before leading the two out. There was a chocolate brown mare and a slightly smaller white one.

"Here, you take Belle," Troy told her, passing her the reins to the white horse. "I'll take Scout."

"How do you know their names?" Casey asked. "Did someone tell you?"

Troy shook his head while he put the saddles on. "Nah, I named them myself. I don't like communicating with Maybelle, Amanda, and Henry, Amanda especially. And Henry is always reading the newspaper or some book. I like my names better than what I imagine Amanda named them." He raised his eyebrows, thinking of all the bad names he could think of. Then he jumped on the horse.

"Did you teach yourself how to ride?"

Troy nodded. "These horses don't do much more than trot. Belle can go at a pretty good pace if you push her and so can Scout, but Lailani is my favorite. She does everything and she's really sweet, " Troy said.

"Lailani," Casey said aloud. "That's a really pretty name. How did you come up with it?"

Troy smiled and got off Scout. He lifted his sister onto Belle before getting back on Scout. Casey frowned at how he had known she didn't know how she was going to get on the horse. She'd never been on a fully grown horse, just the ones at the fairs that went around in a circle. "Troy, you didn't answer me," she told him. "Now _you're_ stalling."

He shook his head as the two horses started to make their way down to the fields. "Lailani is Gabriella's favorite name," he said.

"Ooh," Casey joked. "Will I have a niece named Lailani someday?"

Troy started to laugh but Casey saw right through it. "Did I embarrass you?" she asked triumphantly. He shot her a look and she shrugged. "By the way, big brother, how did you convince Dad and Ms. Montez to let you and Gabriella room together?"

"Well," Troy said. "Ms. Montez actually trusts Gabriella-"

"Because," Casey cut him off. "She can do nothing bad! I swear, she could blow up East High and get a medal of honor!"

"Hey, you asked the question. Do you want to hear the answer?" Casey nodded her head and Troy continued. "And, I told Dad that Mom didn't like the idea and you know Dad..."

"Troy!" Casey exclaimed, her eyes wide in excitement. "You lied to Dad and then didn't tell me! I thought Dad had finally lost it!"

Troy flashed her a smile before stopping Scout and getting off. Casey pulled on the reins slightly, knowing that's what the cartoons did when they said 'woah!' and the horse stopped. Troy lifted her off and the horses began to graze.

"I think we should practice because I know you won't practice when you're with Nathan," he said, taking her stick in his hands. "I'll be offense," he told her, grabbing her old purple stick from the ground. "Wow, Case, how short were in sixth grade?"

Casey glared at him before passing him her red and white one. "Here, use the new one if you're going to complain. Dad," she said, emphasizing 'dad' loudly, "uses the old one when he helps."

Troy stuck out his tongue and passed her back her stick. "Fine, I'll use this one and still get the ball by you."

"Are you kidding me?" she asked. "I've been playing defense since third grade. You have been playing for all of what, two minutes? I bet you can't even dribble."

"Casey, you forget who you are talking to!" Troy pointed to himself. "I have been watching you play since you started and I'm good at everything. How hard can dribbling be?"

For an hour, Casey and Troy fooled around with the sticks. Troy wasn't too bad, but it made Casey laugh every time he messed up. He's curse the sport and remind himself that "I'm Troy Bolton, I play basketball! Not dumb field hockey."

"I think this is the most fun we're going to have here," Casey told him when they were on their way back. Troy only nodded back.

* * *

**So, there it is, short, but I needed to get something out there, filler chapter or not.**

**Review!**


	5. New Summer Job

Okay, so it's been a really long time, but we had the last week of school with finals and such, then I had some softball games and babysitting jobs, and before I knew it, this was getting really far behind. Eek! Anyway, this is the next chapter. Hopefully it was worth the wait.

* * *

_Chapter Five -_

_New Summer Job_

The first thing Casey saw as she and Troy approached the house was her mother, Maybelle, and Henry standing in front of the door. They seemed to be waiting for something, and by the way that they looked at her, she had a funny feeling that the 'something' was her.

"Casey!" Maybelle said, fake excitement in her voice. She plastered a smile on her features and grabbed the arm of Henry, dragging him toward the two teenagers.

"Case," Elizabeth said, walking up behind her brother and his wife. "We were thinking that...maybe it would be best for you to work at the store. You know, as a cashier or something. Just to get you out of the house."

Casey raised her eyebrows and glanced back at Troy, who had a very confused look on his face. She turned back to her mother outraged. The only fun she had on the farm was with Troy and the horses, now she that was going to be taken away from her. "But," she started to complain.

"No buts, young lady," Maybelle said, in what was supposed to be a friendly tone. "We talked to Fred, Marcalie's father, and he said that it would be good for you."

A look of disgust quickly spread across Casey's face. "You talked to Marcalie's father about me?" she questioned with venom in her voice.

"It is for your own good, Casey," Henry spoke, stepping toward her. "Plus, I really need someone to help with the deli." When she didn't seem any happier about the arrangement, he sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "It'll only be a few days a week."

Casey rolled her eyes, not happy about the situation. "I'll take that as a yes," Elizabeth said, turning her back, Maybelle and Henry right behind her.

Troy placed a hand on her shoulder as the adults closed the door. "This is actually good for you, believe it or not," he told her. "You get away."

She nodded and took a deep breath. "I guess," she muttered before storming into the house. She needed to lay down. The adults were sitting in the kitchen and barely noticed her enter. She climbed the stairs two at a time until she reached the room she was sharing with Amanda. Her cousin was reading a magazine on her bed and only looked up when Casey collapsed on the mattress she slept on.

"So," Amanda said slyly. "I heard that you're going to work at the deli. He's been trying to get me to work it forever. Finally, they're off my back about it."

Casey narrowed her eyes and looked up. "It's your fault?"

Amanda placed a hand over her heart, and with the worst acting, said, "no. I would never do that!"

Casey groaned. "Oh, of course. I should have known you were involved. Want me out so you can have a wack at Troy, huh. Remember Mandy, he's your cousin."

"I know that," the other girl replied. "It's just fun-"

"To fool around with my brother!" Casey exploded. "What did he ever do to you? He's happy with his life the way it is, without you in it! We both are."

Amanda laughed. "Well, that's good. Neither of you will go off attempting suicide in the woods." Casey went rigid, but Amanda kept talking. "That would be a horrendous sight, one of you hanging from a tree."

She looked back over to her cousin. "What?" she asked tiredly, noticing the angry look Casey was giving her.

"Oh, don't play dumb! I know you know about Dylan."

The blond girl looked sincerely confused. "What? What does Dylan have to with hanging in a tree?"

"You know," Casey said quietly, afraid of what she was going to say, "Dylan killed himself."

Amanda paled considerably and her eyes widened. She blinked a few times before looking Casey over to make sure the younger girl wasn't lying. "Oh dear," she said, blinking back shock. "But, I was there, in the room when Aunt Liz called. Mom said Dylan was in a car accident."

Now it was Casey's turn for shock. She turned her head quickly to look at Amanda. "A car accident?" she questioned.

An awkward silence filled the room. Amanda looked sorry and was blinking back tears. It confused her why the older girl would have thought that her brother was killed in a car accident. They were her only immediate family so they should have known.

Amanda stood up and threw a pillow at her wall. "I bet she lied," she yelled. "Because she didn't want people to look at her differently."

Casey cocked her head to the side and Amanda continued. "Mom probably thought the town would look at us like freaks if they knew that her nephew killed himself, so she made him sound like he was just in the wrong place at the wrong time." She groaned and chucked another pillow at the wall. "That's just like her! Too involved in her social standing to tell the truth!"

For some reason, it didn't surprise Casey that Maybelle would think that way.

* * *

"Okay," Henry said, adjusting his tie for the fortieth time that morning. Casey raised an eyebrow and he coughed slightly as if being with her made him uncomfortable. "Today should be kind of slow so you can sweep around a bit." 

He passed her a broom before stepping into the back room. She glared at it.

"Stuck sweeping, huh," came a voice. She turned around looked into the boy's face that saved her from the smoking kids in alleyway, the boy Amanda and her friends didn't like. Cale Burrard was standing in front of her with a playful smirk playing on his face.

"Yeah," Casey said quietly.

He chuckled and leaned against the counter. "I remember my first time sweeping here. A lot worse than you've got." His eyes followed her for a moment before he spoke again. "I hope you've been out of the alleys."

Casey turned and shot him a look. "You remember me?" she questioned.

"Yes, a face like yours is hard to forget," he said, then he smiled. "And," he pointed to her shirt, "there is no East High here."

She looked down and nodded. Like the first time she had met him, she was wearing a shirt that had East High written on it. This one was one of Troy's old basketball shirts, probably from freshman year because it fit her.

"My cousin told me a lot about you," Casey told him, setting the broom down and walking toward him.

He raised an eyebrow and gave a quick smile. "Probably all lies, they don't like me much, Marcalie especially," he muttered.

"So I've heard."

Cale chuckled. He grabbed the broom and continued sweeping where she left off. "What's got you working here?"

"My mother and aunt think it's a marvelous idea," Casey said icily. "Personally, I think they just want me out of the house." She watched him sweep and felt slightly bad that he was doing her work for her. "What about you?"

Cale stopped and looked at her. "What about me?"

"Why are you working here?" she asked.

He smiled and placed the broom back in the corner of the room, the sweeping finished. "To learn the value of a dollar, or at least that's what my parents tell me. We," he pointed to her and then himself, "are in the same boat."

"I only have to work her for a few weeks," Casey told him triumphantly. "You're here for the entire summer."

He put a hand to his heart in fake hurt. "Then I'll be all alone again, what will I do?"

Casey smiled at him. "You can wish that I was here and every time a customer comes in you can say 'aw man, if only Casey were still here' and they can look at you like you're a fool," she told him.

A laugh erupted from him. "Yeah, sure, then I can be the laughingstock of the town. Thanks, Case, for that lovely option."

The door to the back room opened and Henry emerged. He flashed a small, nervous smile. "Oh, so, Casey, I see you've met Cale already. I've got to go pick something up. I can drop you off at the house now," Henry told Casey in a tone that sounded more like a question.

"Sure," she said, hoping to save him from his nervousness, but he just nodded quickly and threw a set of keys at Cale, who caught them with ease.

"I trust you can lock up when you're done," he said, a little more relaxed.

Cale gave a nod and then smiled at Casey. "See you tomorrow, Case."

As Henry ushered her out the door, Casey thought that going to work wouldn't be a bad thing. She'd get away from everyone and she's have fun with Cale. 'What could go wrong?' she asked herself.

* * *

**So, how was it?**

**Review!**


	6. Slow Day

**Okay, here's the next chapter. Sorry about the wait!**

* * *

_Chapter Six -_

_Slow Day_

Casey looked at Cale sorting the money in the cash register as she leaned on the broom she was supposed to be sweeping with. It was a slow day, so she was sweeping and he was making sure the money had the presidents face looking up and the tops of their heads pointing to the left. She gave a small smile as he pushed on the register.

"There," he said, leaning against the counter. "Now, we wait."

"Are you sure there's nothing else to do?" Casey moaned. She gave Cale pleading eyes and he sighed, shaking his head. A smile spread across her face. "I know," she muttered, walking to the old radio in the corner of the room.

"What are you doing?"

Casey turned to Cale and pressed the on button. Static started to emit from the speakers and she quickly started to tune it to a station. After a few minutes, she had a station and smiled. Cale sent her a questioning glance.

"Again, I ask," he said. "What are you doing?"

"This," she said, grabbing his hands and prancing around the room, completely forgetting that he wasn't her friends from school. "We used to do this all the time when we were bored."

Cale raised an eyebrow. "We?" he asked.

She shrugged. "My friends back home, Todd and Bridget. Oh, and of course Nathan."

He stepped back, sitting against the wall and resting his smock gently on the floor. "Tell me about them," he said softly. His eyes gazed up at hers and she glanced back, not entirely sure of what he meant. "What are they like? Your friends," he pressed.

"My friends?" she asked, never having to tell anyone but family about her friends. "Well." She thought for a moment, not knowing what to tell him. His eyes encouraged her to continue. "Todd's wild and a major sports guy. He plays soccer, runs track, and then he does lacrosse. But, he doesn't let it go to his head. He's a real clown."

Cale smiled and nodded his head. "Bridget and I have been friends for...forever. We did stop talking for a few months this year, but..."

"But what?" he asked, his eyes filled with curiosity.

Casey took a deep breath. "My brother killed himself and she didn't know what to say."

"I heard about that," Cale told her quietly. "Your aunt said that it was a nasty car wreck, no one could have survived. True?"

She shook her head. "Wrong. He'd been depressed for a while." She felt tears sting her eyes and her throat start to close. "His dorm mate found him in their dorm."

A silence fell over them before Cale stood and wrapped his arms around her. "You're the first person I told that to," she whispered. "I've never told anyone about the day he died, not even Nathan."

She felt him chuckle and looked up. "You talk about Nathan a lot," he told her with a smile, hoping it would cheer her up. "Why don't you tell me about him," he suggested.

Casey smiled trying to figure out what she was going to say about Nathan. "He's great. He moved in after February break and we immediately clicked. He's in Massachusetts right now, I'm visiting him in July."

"That sounds cool," Cale said, letting go of her and walking to the counter.

"What about you?"

Cale looked like Casey had caught him off guard. She sent him a look, clearly confused by his actions. "What about me?" he asked, focusing his eyes to the floor.

She shrugged. "Your friends, what are they like?"

His eyes scanned her for a minute, as if trying to gauge how much he should say. She frowned and then sighed, maybe they weren't good enough friends for him to open up like that to her. She had, but he didn't have to.

"I don't have many friends," Cale told her quietly. Casey nodded, encouraging him to continue. "They're more like followers, wanting to be my friends because of who I am."

She looked up at him. "I know how that feels. When I was younger, sometimes kids would get close to me to be closer to my brothers, the basketball stars, the popular kids."

Cale nodded and Casey gave him a warm smile. "It's nice," he told her. "Knowing you understand when no one else does."

Casey was about to say something in response but her cell phone vibrated in the pocket of her jeans. She set the broom down and grabbed it from her pocket. Not wanting to be rude, she looked up to ask Cale if he'd mind, but he was already doing something else.

"Hello?" she said, walking toward the window. A car drove by slowly and suddenly there was a voice on the other line.

"Finally!"

"Nathan!" she nearly shouted. A grin spread across her face. "It's really good to hear your voice."

There was chuckle. "Well, you would have heard it more if you answered your phone more often. You don't want to know how many times I heard 'hello, this is Casey, sorry I can't pick up right now. Please leave a message after the beep!' What have you been doing?"

She shrugged, only to remember that he wouldn't be able to see her response. "Nothing really. I've been working around my uncle's deli. I made a friend," she added, glancing back at Cale.

"Good, that's what you need. What's her name?"

"His name's Cale," she told him. "He works with me."

There was silence on the other line and Casey pulled the phone from her ear to check and see if the call was dropped. It hadn't so she brought it back. "Nathan?"

"His?" It was more of a statement than a question and Casey sensed jealousy in the tone of his voice.

She made a disgusted sound. "Don't you give me that!" she said. "You are not going to be the overprotective boyfriend. I have Troy to do the overprotectiveness." She took a deep breath to calm down and in a gentler voice added, "I love you."

He sighed. "Yeah, I know that. I love you too."

"Are you having fun with all your old friends?" She asked, wanting to draw the conversation away from the tense subject they had just stopped talking about.

"Yeah," he said. "But, it's different now. I'm always talking about you and Todd and everyone. They're getting kind of annoyed that they haven't met you all. They can't wait until you come."

She smiled, but it turned quickly into a frown as the ringing of the bell sounded from the door. She groaned. "I have to go, we have a customer. I'll talk to you later?"

"Of course," he told her. "Bye."

"Bye," she said quietly, sticking her phone in her pocket and grabbing the broom. She sighed. Sweeping was not her ideal job, but that wasn't all she did - if you counted telling the customer to have a nice day as they left.

The woman took her meat from Cale and made her way toward the door. "Have a nice day!" Casey offered cheerfully. The woman smiled at her and shut the door. Casey rolled her eyes. "I had to hang up with Nathan for that?" she muttered under her breath.

"I know, working sucks huh," Cale told her. Casey spun around, unaware that he was directly behind her. "Hey, why don't we close up early. No one else is going to come by."

"And what if they do?" she asked.

Cale shrugged and walked to the door. He flipped the open sign so it read closed and smiled. "We're closed."

Casey couldn't help but smile.

* * *

**Hmm...**

**Not my favorite chapter, but it had to be done. **

**Although, I really did miss Nathan...**

**Review!**


	7. Troy's Distress

**Okay, it has been a long time...oops. Well, I have an excuse - don't I always? Anyway, I told my friend for her birthday I'd write her a story based on if Neville was the boy-who-lived and Harry had two older brothers...yeah, pretty much using the characters and screwing up the plot, but that's what she wants. She likes the two characters that she and I made up together...what can I say?**

**So, I wrote this - it's quite short - while taking a break. She's really anxious for the other story, and I do have to admit she should be. Her birthday's in June and it's almost a month late. I'll be working on that and trying to post here. Also, I'm going away on Thursday which will push everything back.**

**Sorry about the wait!!!!**

* * *

_Chapter Seven -_

_Troy's Distress _

Troy put his forehead on the kitchen table and sighed. Across the room on the counter his phone started singing the theme to Harry Potter, something Chad thought was funny after Casey nearly died with excitement when the movie came out. He lost count how many times the memorable ringtone had started, drawing odd looks. Troy Bolton had Harry Potter as his ringtone?

Well, it was either that or Rugrats, and Troy could just picture the agony he'd go through if that happened. Quietly, he cursed Chad for deleting the NBA theme song, his old ringtone, and canceling his service - on pure accident, Chad had said 'innocently' - so he could no longer buy ringtones.

He reached his hand out, which barely touched the end of the table, and let it drop. The tune still played, but Troy was too lazy to get it. He didn't want to move, he didn't want to do anything. Instead of getting up, he lifted his head, looking as the phone lit up and nearly fell of the edge of the counter.

"Shoot," Troy muttered, pushing himself up out of the kitchen chair. He strode over to the counter and picked up the phone in his hands. It stopped vibrating and the screen read '1 missed call, Chad' in bright blue letters.

"Speak of the devil," Troy said, flipping the phone and dialing the numbers. He was halfway done when the door of the kitchen slammed open and Amanda burst in, startling Troy and sending the phone into the sink, which was filled with water, soap, and dishes.

Troy turned his back on his cousin and shook his fists at the ceiling, his face red with rage, trying to keep calm.

"Having a bad day?" Amanda asked sweetly.

He rolled his eyes and glared out the window. "Oh, and it just got better," he said sarcastically, reaching his hand in the sink to retrieve his cell phone. He hunched his shoulders in despair. It was dead, his only chance of communication with his life, his home...

Was soaking wet with dishwater.

"I bet you could get a new phone in Portland," Amanda said, wincing at the phone on the counter. "I was just about to go down there, you want to come?"

Troy rolled his eyes and walked into the other room. He did not feel like going into the city with Amanda. And he really didn't want her crawling all over him. He had a girlfriend! He laid down on the couch and groaned. How was he going to make it through the summer without a phone. He knew that Elizabeth wouldn't buy him a new one, she thought he was too irresponsible for the first one anyway. He didn't have enough money to buy one worth having. He had thirty dollars in his suitcase and that was it for the whole summer. Amanda walked into the room and leaned against the doorframe.

"I'll buy you some phone cards if you want," she tried. "I feel awful about that. I didn't mean to scare you."

Troy turned on his side, trying to figure out how he was going to explain to Chad what he did without making it sound really stupid. He didn't need Chad laughing at him when he got a chance to talk to him.

"You don't talk much do you?"

"I talk to people I want to talk to," he told her, clearly agitated

Amanda looked down at her shoes. "Oh, well, then I guess I'll see you later," she said quietly, walking from the room with her head down. Troy waited until he heard her car pull out of the driveway before turning on his back.

He smiled at his actions. He had wanted to snap at her for the last week and he finally got his chance. The feeling was even better than he thought. She now knew that he had no intentions of talking to her and he could be left in peace.

His smile grew moments later. Chad and the rest of his friends didn't know what happened while he was here, so he could make up a lie about his phone. He could hear himself telling the story.

"And then, Evil Aunt Maybelle snatched the phone from my hand and passed it to her partner in crime Elizabeth." Henry wasn't that bad. He could just be a minion. "Elizabeth took the phone, laughed a menacing laugh, and attacked it with a hammer."

"Oh, and don't forget that Evil Aunt Maybelle had banished the beautiful Princess Casey to her bedroom before sending you into exile for not marrying the little witch Amanda," came a voice from the hall. He turned to see Casey with a grin on her face that rivaled the size of his. "And that Poor Uncle Henry had no idea what was going on and, after you saved me from my bedroom and slaughtered the evil aunt, cousin, and mother, he came rushing in asking if anyone wanted pie!"

Troy chuckled at Casey's addition to his story, although it did make it unbelievable. She skipped to the couch and sat down on his stomach. "So, did Elizabeth really attack your cell with a hammer, because I can really picture Maybelle doing that."

"No," Troy answered, shaking his head. "I dropped it in the soapy water in the kitchen. It's destroyed."

Casey nodded her head and reached for the magazine on the coffee table. "That really stinks, Troy. But don't hang your head, at least you get to tell some really cool stories about Evil Aunt Maybelle when you get home."

"Evil Aunt who?" came a voice. Casey gulped and Troy shook his head. He should have known that Maybelle would get home. A book club meeting could only last for so long.

"Listen, Missy," Maybelle said, striding forward to poke Casey in the chest. "I've heard the horror stories about you brats, the both of you. You two are making a mess of my life and if Elizabeth wasn't my favorite sister-in-law, you'd both be out on the street!"

"What has she told you-" Troy tried to ask, but was cut off by the door opening.

"Hello?" Elizabeth's voice echoed through the house.

Maybelle gave them one last glare before walking out of the room. "Oh, Elizabeth!" she cried happily. Casey rolled her eyes and kicked the coffee table. Groaning, Troy shut his eyes. It was going to be a long summer.

"Troy," Casey whispered in his ear. "Why does she hate us so much?"

"Because," Troy said, not opening his eyes, "we don't like her daughter, probably. She's seems that way."

Casey sighed and stood. She stretched before walking out of the room, making a face at the kitchen as she went to the stairs. Troy heard her little footsteps padding up to her room. He opened her eyes when a door closed above him and he stared at the ceiling. He didn't know how long he stayed there, but long enough for Amanda to come back.

She walked in the room, quickly passed him a card, and left again, clearly nervous around him after his little outburst earlier. He opened it. Inside was a sympathy card and some cash. He threw it at the wall and glanced out the window. It was dark outside and he couldn't see a thing. But he liked it.

* * *

**I hope this made enough sense. You're not supposed to know some things, it's the way I planned it out. But...even then it might confusing.**

**Review!**


	8. The Flight of Casey

Okay, here's the next chapter. I hope you like it.

* * *

_Chapter Eight -_

_The Flight of Casey_

"When I look at the stars, I see all of my mistakes. What do you see?"

"I see balls of burning gas a million miles away."

Casey rolled over and glared at Cale. "Not literally!" she exclaimed, even though she was sure that he said that to get on her nerves. He just smiled in response before looking back up at the night sky.

"Well, I don't know. I see hope, I guess," he told her. "I've never really thought about that before, but now that you mention it. The stars give me hope that someday I'll leave this town for something bigger and better."

Casey nodded, thankful that he took her seriously the second time. She leaned back down on the grass and took a deep breath. She was leaving to see Nathan in a few days and she really wanted to go, but part of her wanted to stay. So much was here, Troy, Cale, Uncle Henry.

And Aunt Maybelle, Elizabeth, and Amanda as well. That made her want to go.

"I'm leaving in a few days," she said suddenly.

"I know," he replied, his eyes not moving from the stars.

They were quiet for a few minutes, the only sounds being the crickets around them. Neither knew what to say. They had grown very close over the few weeks that she had been there and it was coming to a close.

"You must be excited," Cale said after a moment. "You get to see all your friends."

She shook her head. "Just Nathan actually." Cale turned his head and raised his eyebrows at the tone of her voice. "I didn't mean that. I am excited, I love Nathan, but I kind of want to stay here."

Cale chuckled. "Casey Bolton, you are a weird one. I just finished telling you about how I want to get out of this place and you say you want to stay!" After a moment, he asked, "I thought you hated it here?"

"I do," she told him. "But you and Troy will be here-"

"Wait," Cale said, rolling over to face her. "You'd rather be here with me than with your boyfriend?"

She shrugged. "Well, I'll see Nathan in the fall," she told him. Smiling sadly, she rolled over like he had. "I'll never see you again once I leave."

Cale flashed her a smile before putting his hand on her shoulder. She knew that this was not practical. She knew that she shouldn't have snuck out of the house late that night to jump in Cale's car and look at the stars with him. She knew, but she did it anyway. Feeling Cale move, she looked up and saw him inching toward her. He kissed her forehead.

"As I said before, Casey, you're one weird kid."

She grinned. "I know, Troy and Dylan used to tell me that all the time!"

Cale laughed and turned back to look above him. "I should probably get you to your aunt's house, shouldn't I?"

Casey shook her head. She didn't want to go back there, even if Troy was there. Her aunt was there and that was enough reason to keep her away. She turned her head to look at the stars. She pointed out a few constellations that she had learned about in science class.

She reached her hand in her pocket for her cell phone. Frowning, she realized she didn't have, probably left it in the kitchen like she normally did at her home in Albuquerque. She sighed, wanting to know what time it was. She hadn't had her phone all day, knowing Cale would have his.

"Case, I think you should get back before people get suspicious," he said, standing up. He held his hand out for her to take and she placed her small hands in his. They walked to his car and she sat in the passenger's seat, knowing that when she got back to Albuquerque she'd take driver's ed and get her permit.

The car ride was quiet, the noise from the radio the only sounds. Casey found herself entranced by the fields. They looked so beautiful at night, compared to her aunt's during the day. She had finally begun to feel as if she could have had a nice vacation - if she spent all her time with Cale.

All the lights in the house were off when pulled up except the one in the kitchen. Casey didn't know if she should go through it or if she would climb the tree like she originally planed. She saw Troy's face appear in the window. He looked sullen and Casey frowned. Had he been upset that she went with Cale?

"I'll see you later," she told him, looking between him and Troy. Cale nodded and gave her a smile. "I had a lot of fun."

"Yeah, Casey, me too. This has been the best summer I've ever had here," he said quietly. "Thank you."

She stepped out of the car and he peeled away. She watched the lights until she couldn't see them anymore and knew that the car was gone. She looked back up at the door and saw that Troy was still there. His eyes were telling her to come through the door.

Walking slowly to the porch, she notice him move. She entered the house to see Amanda staring down at a napkin and Uncle Henry staring at his daughter. Elizabeth ran toward her, engulfing her in a hug. Casey turned to Troy, who was holding her phone and his face gave everything away. They were upset about something.

"Who died?" she asked quietly.

Troy shook his head and walked toward his sister. Elizabeth reluctantly let her go so she could be taken into Troy's arms. She felt a lump create in her throat. "Please," Casey begged softly.

She watched as her brother's eyes scanned her face, no doubt trying to come up with a way to tell her. "There was an accident, C," Troy said. "The call came in earlier today, but no one answered," he added, raising her phone.

Casey's eyes filled with tears. "Please, tell me it's not Dad," she whispered.

"It isn't," Troy told her, stroking her hair. "Dad's fine. It's...there was a jet ski accident. It's Nathan, kid. He's pretty beat up."

Her world was spinning. Nathan. She had just told Cale that she'd rather spend her summer with him instead of Nathan. She felt so guilty. It was Dylan all over again. She was to blame.

"Is he...?" she asked, her voice breaking.

Troy shook his head. "No, but he's in a coma. His parents want you there, they have a ticket for you at the airport in Portland for the midnight flight. If we leave now, you'll get there in time."

Casey froze, but Troy lifted her up the stairs. She needed to get her things, which by the looks of it, he had already packed. Everything was in a backpack that she could carry on with her so she wouldn't have to get it at the airport in Boston. It was going to take her a long time to get to Nathan and any time wasted...

She couldn't bear to think about it. Nathan was strong.

"We need to call Todd," she said through her tears.

"I already did," Troy assured her, carrying her back down the stairs. "He's on his way there too. You'll get there about the same time. Your flight hasn't been delayed, I checked."

There was cackling laughter heard from the hallway. Aunt Maybelle stood at the end, shaking her head. "You know," she said laughing. "I wished that something bad would happen to you. You popular, spoiled brats! Now, it's finally happened!"

"Maybelle!"

The two siblings turned at the sound of Elizabeth's voice. She walked straight at her sister-in-law and slapped her across the face. A smile formed amongst Casey's tears.

"Troy," Elizabeth said. "I have the car ready for you. Come back quickly. You and I are leaving as well."

Troy frowned. "What?"

"I'll pack our stuff when you get back. We're going home." Elizabeth shook her head, directing her next thought at Maybelle. "Henry told me all about you, your ways! I didn't believe him because you seemed so sweet! Now I have proof. I heard what you said to them the other day. I never told you anything about them that would make them horrible children!"

Maybelle's eyes widened. "Never," Elizabeth told her, "say anything to my children again!"

"I thought you hated them," Maybelle sneered.

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, I hate their father, and now he seems a whole lot better than you!" She turned to her children. "Go, or Casey will miss her flight!"

Troy and Casey stared at their mother in shock. So, she had heard Maybelle tell them that she'd rather them on the street than in her house. Their mother's actions were so un-Elizabeth that it had both of her kids dumbfounded as they raced down the stairs after her.

"But, Eliz- Mom," Casey said, wiping the tears from her cheeks.

"No time, Casey," Elizabeth whispered, kissing her daughter's forehead. "Everything will be explained later. Troy, drive carefully!"

Amanda opened the door for them and smiled sympathetically at Casey. "I'm sorry," she said quietly.

But, before Casey could say anything, Troy had shut the door, jumped in the driver's seat and sped off toward the city where Casey would get on an airplane headed to Massachusetts, five days too soon.

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**Okay, a lot of you probably think that this was really rushed, but I thought it worked out good, because it was supposed to be rushed. Accidents are rushed. Also, a lot of you are probably going to send me reviews saying that you don't want anything to happen to Nathan.**

**But, what's happened has happened. I've decided. I know how this will end, and so will you when I update again.**

**Review!**


	9. Bedside Encouragement

Okay, I had to get this out today because I'm going to camp tomorrow until Friday. Anyway. Here's the next chapter and I hope you enjoy it. You finally get to see what's going on with Nathan.

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_Chapter Nine-_

_Bedside Encouragement _

"Welcome to Boston, Massachusetts. I hope you enjoy your stay here. The local time is ten fourteen in the morning," the pilot's voice said through the intercom as the plane approached the gate.

Casey looked out the window. It was sunny and bright outside contradicting Casey's tear stained cheeks and bloodshot eyes. She'd gotten on the midnight flight in Portland and had to rush to get to her connecting flight in Chicago. Now she was there, under the worst circumstances, but she was there.

Everyone stood and Casey grabbed her backpack from under the chair in front of her. She hadn't slept at all, too concerned with Nathan's health than her own well being. She reached into her bag and retrieved her cell phone, turning it on. The screen turned blue and Casey opened it.

One missed call.

She pressed a button that brought her to voicemail and waited. "7:01 am, from phone number," the woman said. Casey groaned and missed half the number.

"Hey, Casey, it's Todd. I just got here and the board says your flight will be getting here in fifteen minutes. I'll be waiting at your gate. Talk to you soon."

It sounded that Todd was close to tears and Casey couldn't handle it. It had to have been bad for Nathan's parents to get Todd and her to come. Todd came from lacrosse camp, something he'd been dying to go to and couldn't stop talking about. Tears began to flood her eyes once more.

"Have a nice trip," the flight attendant was telling the people in line ahead of her. She smiled sympathetically at Casey. "I hope your friend's okay."

Casey had told her everything and the flight attendant had been nice. She sat in the vacant seat beside the crying girl for a while. The flight wasn't that full, so her coworker took over passing out the sodas and pillows. Casey nodded to her before just about running through the tunnel that led to the terminal, her eyes searching for Todd.

She found him sitting in a chair. He didn't look much better than her. Casey shook her head, wondering what Nathan would have said if he were there. Todd stood from his seat and wrapped his arms around her.

"Come on, Nathan's dad is here."

The two walked out and looked around. There was a man who looked a lot like Nathan. He had blond hair and the same blue eyes that Casey found herself dreaming about during class. He was wearing shorts and a t-shirt, looking like he hadn't gotten much sleep.

"I'm Rick Hillier, and you must be the famous Casey Bolton," he said, a faint smile appearing on his face. He turned to Todd. "And Todd Bryant. Nathan's talked very highly of both of you."

Casey and Todd frowned, hearing the man's voice crack at his son's name. They followed him out of the airport silently, the only time they spoke being when he asked if they needed to get any luggage from the luggage claim.

They sat in the back of his car and Casey looked out the window, watching as Boston filled her view. She was beginning to like the scenery. On her left was a park and a river.

"The River Charles," Rick said when Casey asked what it was. "You can watch some wicked fantastic fireworks - the Boston Pops - in that park come forth of July."

Casey looked at the seat. It was the first day of July.

"How long will it take to get there?" Todd asked, his eyes not leaving the window.

The light Rick had been stopped at turned green and he started the car. "Oh, not long in this traffic. They helicoptered him to Mass General for treatment, which is close by here. We're almost there."

Rick hadn't been kidding. Within five minutes, they parked the car outside a large building. Casey looked up and saw a helicopter. She knew that Nathan wasn't in there, but she had never seen one stop on the roof of a hospital before. In fact, she'd never really been to a hospital before.

Todd grabbed her arm and pulled her away. It was very clean and neat, making Casey wrinkle her nose. She had never liked the smell of cleaning materials all that much and at the moment they were reminding her of why they were there.

The elevator was packed. There were medical students, visitors, and one doctor staring at a chart. They only had to go to the fifth floor or so and they stepped out. Casey was shocked. The waiting room was full. Teenagers sat in chairs, tears streaming down some of their faces. One boy looked up and gave them a smile. Casey suddenly felt like an outsider.

Why had she rushed out? She and Todd had only known Nathan for a few months, these kids had grown up with him. The boy who had looked up walked toward them, his head bowed. He had on a red sox hat and a t-shirt that looked like it'd seen better days.

He held his hand out to Todd. "Hi, I'm Stephen."

"I'm Todd and this is Casey."

Stephen nodded his head. "Yeah, I know. Um, before you guys go in there, I just wanted to tell you how much he talked about you." Stephen held tears in his eyes but he continued to talk. "He was saying stuff about the two of you. I used to be his best friend. I haven't seen him this happy in a long time."

Casey felt herself smile though her tears. "Can you tell us what happened?"

Stephen looked away and then back at the two, as if he was a doctor telling two parents that their son was dead. "You know Nathan, the daredevil." Todd nodded and Casey looked away. They both did. "Well, he was doing some sort of trick on his jet ski and he went flying."

Tears were now flowing down his cheeks. "He hit his head on Big Rock, this rock we named, and he was floating there in the water. We thought he was dead. We called an ambulance and we rushed him to the shore and he was barely breathing."

Casey stepped forward and placed her hand on Stephen's shoulder. "It's okay. We get the gist of it. You can stop."

He shook his head. "When I was pulling him out of the water, he muttered something. It might have been my mind playing a trick on me, but I thought for sure that he said your names. That's when I called your cells from his phone."

"Thank you," Todd said.

"Casey! Todd!"

They looked away from Stephen. Natalie was running to them. The seven year old jumped into Todd's arms, tears in her eyes. "Mom and Dad won't let me see him!"

"It's okay, Nat, he's going to be fine," Todd told her. Nathan's mother walked from where her daughter had come from. She took Natalie from Todd and smiled sympathetically at them, nodding her head toward at door down the hall.

"516," she said quietly.

Casey nodded and they walked down the hallway. The two stood outside the door for a moment before pushing it open. Casey knew they were in the ICU by the way the doctors rushed around and how the walls to the rooms were basically windows.

An intense amount of machine's filled their visions. Loud, beeping noises were heard and the loud hiss of a ventilator pushed away any other sounds. Laying in the bed was Nathan, as they expected. They hadn't thought about the tubes that would be connected to him. His skin was pale, his eyes closed.

Casey collapsed on the floor. He looked so dead.

"Hey, Case," Todd said, helping her up. "You know Nathan, he's strong."

Casey just shook her head. "This is all my fault."

"No it's not," Todd told her firmly.

"Yes it is!" she yelled, huddling in a corner. Visions of Cale rushed through her mind. She had wanted to stay there, with him. _I can see Nathan in the fall._ Her words replayed over and over again in her brain. "I shouldn't be aloud in here."

Todd wrapped his arms around her. "Yes, you should. He loves you and you love him."

She shook her head. "I betrayed him."

Picking her up, Todd brought her to Nathan's bed. He put the unconscious boy's hand in hers. "Hey, Nathan, it's me, Todd. We need you, kid." Todd was finding it hard to talk. "Remember you were going to be Superman and save our pathetic soccer team from another losing season?"

All the sound that they heard in response was the hiss of the ventilator and the beeping of the machines. "Casey's here too, dude." He turned to her. "Say something, so he knows you're here."

"Nathan," Casey said, talking through her tears. "I love you."

Casey felt his hand flinch in hers. She looked up hopefully at his eyes, but the ocean blue orbs were still hidden by his eyelids. She brought his hand to her lips and kissed it. "Nathan, please. I can't lose you," she whispered. "I can't lose you like I lost Dylan."

She let her eyes follow the tubes connected to his body. She looked long and hard at the biggest one, the one down his throat helping him breathe. Suddenly, she gasped, making Todd look at Nathan's face as well. His eyes were open, staring at them with a longing she'd only seen one time before in Dylan's eyes they day before he went back to college for the last time. She knew what it meant, and she wouldn't let that happen.

"Nathan! No. You're going to be fine!" She hit the nurse call button and they were immediately swarmed and pushed out of the room.

"What? What happened?" Todd asked frantically. "What did you see?"

"I looked in his eyes," Casey told him quietly. Todd nodded, knowing that he had seen his eyes open as well. Casey sighed. "I saw defeat."

**

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******

Oh, dear. Well. Tell me what you think!

**Review!!**


	10. Of Guilt and Apologies

Okay, sorry for the long wait. Here's the next chapter...

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_Chapter Ten-_

_Of Guilt and Apologies_

Todd walked down a hallway hoping he was where he thought he was. He was not used to walking around hospitals, especially this one which was all the way across the country from his home. He had left Casey with Steven, sure that the Massachusetts native would take care of her while he did what he needed to do.

He stopped when he reached a room. It was way past visiting hours, but he didn't care. He pushed open the door and walked in before standing at the foot of a bed.

Nathan had been doing much better in the two days that they had been there. He was confused about his surroundings and he couldn't talk. Mostly, he spent his day looking out the window, not making eye contact with anyone except the pigeons that flew by, not even the therapists. He had been moved from the ICU to another room, the room that Todd had just entered.

When the door shut with a click, Todd was sure that Nathan would keep looking out the window and he was right. He leaned over and poked the boy in the shoulder. "Nathan?" he said, wanting the boy's attention.

Todd nearly died when Nathan turned his head to face him. The ventilator was gone and most of his face had healed somewhat. The bruises weren't as big, the gashes not as deep. His blue eyes were searching Todd with curiosity.

"Do you remember who I am?" Todd asked quietly. Nathan nodded his head slightly but his eyes still looked around. Todd looked to the ground. "Casey's not here, dude."

Nathan turned his head, as if contemplating what Todd had just told him before turning back. His eyes were questioning Todd, asking why he had come, why Casey hadn't.

"You scared her, Nathan," Todd told him.

The look on Nathan's face made Todd bite his lower lip. He looked sad, like he didn't remember what he had done to scare her. Nathan turned to Todd, his eyes watering, wanting to communicate with him so badly. The doctors had told them that it might take a while for Nathan to relearn basic things, such as walking, talking, reading, using various objects like pens and silverware.

Nathan opened his mouth and then closed it. He let his eyes fall to the floor. He knew that he was unable to speak. Todd sat at the end of the bed and gave him a faint smile of encouragement. Nathan lifted his head and mouthed the three words he would have said. Todd nodded, "I know you love her."

"I didn't mean to hurt her," Nathan whispered hoarsely. Todd's eyes widened.

"You're talking!" he exclaimed. Nathan gave a small smile. "I'll go get Casey and everyone! This is exciting! You should have seen the condition you were in!"

Todd turned and sprinted out of the room, drawing the attention of some of the nurses, but he didn't care. He found Casey and pulled her out of her chair. She stared at him bewildered. "What is it?"

"Nathan, he talked to me!"

Casey's stomach lurched. Nathan was beginning to communicate; it was a great thing but it made her feel extremely guilty. She'd been a jerk to him all summer, cutting conversations short or not picking up just to be with Cale. Then, she'd said those words. _I can see Nathan in the fall._

"Come on, Case!" Todd said, grabbing her hand and rushing back to the room. A few nurses were smiling as they walked out of the room that they had entered after Todd's sudden exit. Casey saw Nathan's eyes light up at the sight of her. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"Casey." She knew he was struggling to get out the word so she crossed the room and put her finger to his lips.

Tears welled in her eyes. "This is all my fault," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

He shook his head, but it was Todd who spoke. "No, Casey, listen. None of this is your fault! You weren't anywhere near him when this happened. It was an accident."

"No, Todd, you listen!" she screamed. "Everyone I love gets hurt. Troy, Dad, Dylan, and now Nathan. I don't belong here, surrounded by people who care about me."

"Okay, Casey, I know you're a Bolton, but even you are not that powerful," Todd said calmly. "Just because they love you, isn't the reason why they were hurt or injured. Believe me."

Furiously, she wiped the tears from her eyes before turning to Nathan. "I don't deserve you. I didn't want to come until I heard you got hurt. I wanted to stay with Cale. I didn't want to leave him."

"You did," he croaked. It wasn't a question, it was a statement. "You left him."

She turned to Todd, who looked at her with questioning eyes. He didn't know about Cale and obviously wanted to. She frowned but was unable to answer because she felt Nathan's hand in hers.

"It's okay," he said quietly.

"No, it's not!" she yelled, the tears finally escaping her eyes. "Don't you care that you can't trust me? You don't know what I'm dealing with!"

He nodded. "You're right," he said, taking a breath. "But I trust you to make the right decision. If you love him, we can still be friends."

Casey felt her throat restrict. Did she love Cale like she loved Nathan? Sure, his company was great in a place she felt was a prison and they understood how the other felt, but would she go as far as love? Cale was one of her best friends now, and sighing with relief, she knew that was all he would ever be.

She let out a breath that she hadn't known she'd been holding. "I may love him, but I'm _in_ love with you."

Nathan smiled and lifted himself up, bringing his lips to hers. "That's good," he whispered in his weak voice. Casey noticed it was getting weaker and more quiet with every word he spoke, so she gently pushed him back down. He frowned.

"Go to sleep and get your voice stronger," she told him with a smile, happy she was in control of her feelings again.

"Yeah," Todd said. "We're going to need that yell on the field come September."

Nathan nodded his head and let his eyes close, his hand still holding Casey's. Todd nudged her softly. "So, who's this Cale guy?"

"A guy that made my summer worth living through," she told him, her eyes not leaving Nathan's peaceful face. Todd didn't say anything so she didn't add anymore. She laid her head on the bed, the continuous beats of machines helping her drift to sleep.

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**How many of you watched **_**High School Musical 2**_** last night? I did! But, on IMDB they said that there was a character named Trevor Bolton, and I just watched for him the entire movie and he wasn't there. I was depressed, because the only thing better than one Bolton...is two!**

**But, onto the story. I think this is coming to an end, so if you have any questions that you want answered you should ask them now! I think either the next chapter or the chapter after next will be the epilogue.**

**So, tell me...**

**Review!**


	11. Epilogue

Alas, this is the epilogue. I actually had a lot of fun writing this chapter! Enjoy!

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**Epilogue**

_**Nathan**_

For the many sports stars that came from East High, the last day of school was the same. I suppose I was no different, leaving high school for a tuition-paying scholarship. The clock struck three fifteen and every kid launched out of their seats, that is except me. I could see them pulling out their red yearbooks, holding out pens to their neighbor. They promised to write to each other, never to lose the friendships they had worked so hard to retain during the years of schooling.

I seemed to be the only one who knew how useless this was. Everyone would make new friends once they hit college and for some of us tomorrow, graduation, was going to be the last time we saw some of the people we cared for so dearly.

Everyone danced out of the room and I had yet to stand up. Ms. Darbus was clearing the chalkboard of her final reminder that cell phones were not allowed in her classroom. She didn't even notice me. I shrugged out of my seat at a turtle's pace, so slow that if the college lacrosse coach saw me, I might lose my scholarship.

The hallway was dead silent, everyone trying to get as far away from the school as the possibly could, but I wanted to take one final stroll, one last look at all the memories I had made in my three and a half years at East High.

College seemed out of my realm, a dream that was so far away yet close enough to touch. It was right around the corner. Luckily, I didn't have to burden my parents too much in the financial department, University of Albuquerque had a great lacrosse program and the Redhawks were looking for two players like Todd and I that worked so well together.

"Hey, Wildcat!"

I turned around with a sad smile spread across my face. Casey walked out toward me, her hands reaching for mine. "Or should I say Redhawk?" she asked, her eyes sparkling.

A sigh escaped my lips and I pulled her into my arms. Casey and I would be separated for the first time since the summer of my accident. That was a horrible time in my life. One stupid decision - because I had to be the show off - destroyed me. Even after I'd woken up from my coma and begun to talk, my head was very sensitive. I had to wear a medical alert bracelet to stay on the safe side and soccer was out of the question indefinitely.

Casey and Todd stuck by my side. It took me a while to get the function in my legs and arms back and I needed a speech therapist for a year. My strength never got back to normal and my voice is still a little weak, but I am alive.

It took a while to convince my parents that I could play lacrosse. They made me sit my sophomore year out, but I still practiced on my own, doing some stuff Coach gave me to do. Finally, my parents caved and let me play after the doctors signed off, which he did after a little chat. I played my junior year as if I hadn't taken a year off and my story became one that the local news liked to play.

I became, as Casey liked to put it, the new Troy. Everyone in school knew my name and lacrosse was just as popular as basketball. Case continued to play lacrosse and field hockey, getting herself a scholarship to a school on the East coast, the same school her father went to.

Which was my dilemma now. I didn't want to be separated from her for a single minute - in fact, I tried for three days straight to get my last class changed so I could be in all of her classes. My guidance counselor didn't appreciate me in his office so much after that - and now I was going to be away from her for months at a time. Say what you want, but I love her more than anything in the world.

She moved in my arms and I let her go. "Why are you so nervous?"

"Because, tomorrow's graduation-"

She cut me off. We had this conversation a lot. "And then we'll have all summer together, and-"

I couldn't take it anymore. This is usually when I let her convince me that everything was going to be okay. "And then September will come. I miss you already and you haven't even begun to pack yet."

Her hand reached up to my face and she held it there for a minute. "You'll be fine. We'll talk all the time, I promise."

"You know, promise is a really big word, Case."

I watched her eyes move from my face to her hand and I let my follow hers. I sighed. She was right. I'd given her a promise ring two weeks before. I was a hypocrite to say that.

"You're right, as always," I told her, leaning down to kiss her. I could feel her breath when I felt two hands grab my shoulders.

"Come on, you two! Yearbooks need signing by East High's golden couple!" Todd chanted, grabbing my arm and pulling me by the arm away from Casey.

"Yeah, sure, because I wasn't busy or anything!" I muttered sarcastically. Casey giggled from behind me. I smiled, hearing her laugh that I loved so much. Todd opened the doors to the outside and everyone pounced.

Eh, it could have been worse. All I had to do was find my face and scribble my name. Afterwards I could find Casey and finish what I started. And if Todd was lucky, he might get a call. I needed to yell at him about pulling me into this mess of signing yearbooks, didn't I?

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**Nathan was really fun to write...anyway, tell me what you thought.**

**Oh, and bonus point to whoever can come up with the two High School Musical 2 lines I planted in there. :)**

**Review!**


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